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Patients & Visitors

Maternity

The IONA® test a non-invasive prenatal screening test

What is the IONA® test?

The IONA® test is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) for pregnant women which estimates the risk of a fetus having Down's syndrome or some other serious genetic diseases. The IONA® test is an advanced screening test that is carried out on a small maternal blood sample. Pregnant women can expect test results from their healthcare provider within approximately 3-5 days from sample receipt.

What does IONA® screen for?

The IONA® test estimates the risk of a fetus having Down's syndrome (Trisomy 21), Edwards' syndrome (Trisomy 18) and Patau's syndrome (Trisomy 13). Trisomies occur when three, instead of the usual two, copies of a chromosome are present. Edwards' and Patau's syndromes are much rarer than Down's but are very serious and many affected babies do not survive.

Who can have the IONA® test?

  • Suitable for women who are at least 10 weeks pregnant.
  • Suitable for all singleton and twin pregnancies.
  • Suitable for IVF or surrogate pregnancies.
  • Unsuitable for women with cancer or with a trisomy or who have undergone a blood transfusion within the last 12 months.

IONA® test results

Our maternity screening department will call you with the results from the test.

Where can I get an IONA® test?

You can contact our Maternity Screening Department on 01225 825414
or email: ruh-tr.maternityscreening@nhs.net

More information:

The IONA® test

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